Changes in feeding behavior patterns and dry matter intake before clinical symptoms associated with bovine respiratory disease in growing bulls

Abstract

Methods to improve accuracy of preclinical detection of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) are needed to reduce the economic impact of this disease, improve animal welfare, and promote more judicious use of antimicrobials in beef cattle. The objectives of this study were to retrospectively characterize time-series deviations in DMI and feeding behavior patterns preceding the display of observed clinical symptoms associated with BRD and to identify those feeding behavior traits that would be most predictive of BRD. The study was conducted with 231 seed stock bulls (391 ± 55 kg initial BW) representing 5 breeds that were housed in a facility equipped with GrowSafe feed bunks at a commercial bull-test facility. All bulls were vaccinated against standard viral and bacterial pathogens before and on arrival at the facility. Daily DMI and feeding behavior traits (frequency and duration of bunk visit events, head-down duration, variance of nonfeeding intervals, and time to approach feed bunk following feed-truck delivery) were measured for 70 d with a GrowSafe system. During a 10-d period from Day 28 to 37 of the trial, 30 bulls were administered antimicrobial therapy for clinical symptoms of BRD (rectal temperatures > 39.5°C). All remaining bulls ( = 201) were administered metaphylactic therapy on Day 38 of the trial in response to an acute decrease in feed intake. A retrospective analysis was conducted using a 2-slope broken-line regression model to identify inflection points in DMI and feeding behavior traits relative to onset of illness. The bulls were separated into 2 cohort groups based on observed clinical illness ( = 30) or those metaphylactically treated ( = 201), with the 2-slope broken-line regression model applied separately to each cohort. The model-detected inflection points for DMI were 6.8 and 3.8 d before observed clinical illness and metaphylactic treatment, respectively, and the reductions in DMI from detected inflection points to the day of observed clinical illness and day of metaphylactic treatment were 39.3 and 49.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the model-detected inflection points for individual feeding behavior traits ranged from 1.3 to 14.2 d before observed clinical illness and from 3.8 to 12.6 d before metaphylactic treatment. Results from this study demonstrate the potential value of electronic behavior-monitoring systems to improve the sensitivity and specificity of preclinical detection of BRD in feedlot cattle.

Effect of ruminal acidosis and short-term low feed intake on indicators of gastrointestinal barrier function in Holstein steers

“…LFI and RA are two nutritional challenges that can occur under conventional beef and dairy cattle production; however, these challenges differ with respect to predisposing factors and, in some cases, the arising consequences on health and productivity. For example, LFI may occur as a physiological response to parturition (Bertics et al, 1992;Hayirli et al, 2002), infection (Jackson et al, 2016), heat stress (Huber, 1996;Rhoads et al, 2009;Pearce et al, 2012), social and physical stress as occurs for newly received feedlot calves (Loerch and Fluharty, 1999), or due to limited ability to Table 8. Mucosal to serosal inulin (J MS-14C-inulin ) and mannitol (J MS-3H-mannitol ) flux rate, and Gt data for CON (n = 7), RA (n = 7), and LFI (n = 7) steers access feed.…”

Effects ofMannheimia haemolyticachallenge with or without supplementation ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae boulardiistrain CNCM I-1079 on immune upregulation and behavior in beef steers1

“…To compensate for these increased energy demands, mammals display various behavioral responses such as increased sleep, and reductions in social activity, sexual behavior, and feed intake in an effort to conserve energy (Carroll and Forsberg, 2007). Lethargy and reduced feed intake have been well documented in studies monitoring the health of beef cattle (Hutcheson and Cole 1986;Galyean and Hubbert, 1995;Sowell et al, 1999;Quimby et al, 2001;Jackson et al, 2016). These metrics are often the basis for subjective disease detection paradigms.…”

A glimpse of the future in animal nutrition science. 2. Current and future solutions

“…A number of studies have demonstrated reductions in feed intake prior to onset of BRD in beef cattle (Jackson et al, 2016;Wolfger et al, 2015b). While automated systems for measuring individual-animal feed intake are becoming more widely available, the prospects for commercial applications of these technologies for early disease detection are limited due to high investment and maintenance costs.…”